Adjustable self-centering roll



Oct. 10,1961 A. TEPLITZ 3,003,672

ADJUSTABLE SELF-CENTERING ROLL Filed March 26, 1959 INVENTOR ALFRED TEPL/TZ Attorney United States Patent Oflice 3,003,672 Patented Oct. '10, 1961 v 3,003,672 ADJUSTABLE SELF-CENTERING ROLL Alfred Teplitz, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 802,130 4 Claims. (Cl. 226-192) This invention relates to a self-centering roll and more particularly to a self-centering roll of the type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,674,455, dated April 6, 1954. The centering ability of the roll disclosed in this patent depends upon the amount of deflection of its end sections and the amount of deflection will vary with the tension applied to the roll by the strip passing thereover. Since the patented roll does not have any means for adjusting the amount of deflection which can take place, a roll designed for one range of tensions will not center properly under other tensions. The patent to Loring No. 2,692,773, dated October 26, 1954 does disclose a roll having means for adjusting the deflection. However, the adjustment is dependent upon a plurality of tension bolts which must be individually adjusted to a common tension. This is a difiicult procedure. *It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a self-centering roll of the type disclosed in my prior patent which is provided with means for readily adjusting the amount of rim deflection.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the roll of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a View taken on the line lI--II of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail; and

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on the line -IVIV of FIG- URE 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numerals 2 and 4 indicate a pair of opposed spaced apart rotatable frusto-conical roll halves over which a strip or strip-like material S, such as a conveyor belt, passes. The conical effect and deflection is exaggerated to show the aligning principle involved in the invention more clearly. The roll halves 2 and 4 are mounted on a rotatable shaft 6 which in turn is mounted in bearings 8. If it is desired to drive the roll by external means, the shaft 6 is provided with an extension 9 as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 1. The roll halves 2 and 4 have opposed rim portions 10 and 12, respectively, which are connected at their outer ends to inwardly extending web portions 14 and 16. The web portion 14 is welded to a hub portion 18, which in turn is Welded to the shaft 6. The web portion 16 is welded to a hub portion 20, which in turn is welded to the shaft 6. There is a space 22 between the inner ends of rims 10 and 12 which is uniform around their periphery when the rims are not deflected. In order to assure equal deflections of the axes and rims of the two roll halves disk-like web portions 30 and 32 are welded to the rims 10 and 12, respectively, on their adjacent ends. The webs 30 and 32 extend radially inwardly toward the shaft 6 and are fastened to a hub portion 34 having a flange 36 extending outwardly between the webs 30 and 32. The Webs 30 and 32 are fastened to the hub 34 by means of bolts 38 passing through the webs 30 and 32 and the flange 36. If desired, the webs 30 and 32 can be welded to the hub 34 instead of being bolted. Also bronze bushing 40 may be provided on the inner periphery of the hub 34. The inner surface of the bushing 40 is tapered or frusto-conical. A sleeve 42 surrounds shaft 6 and has a tapered surface 44 cooperating with the inner surface of the c bushing 40. A plug 46 is slidably mounted in the hollow shaft 6 which is provided with diametrically opposed holes 48. A pin 50 secured to the plug 46 passes through the holes 48 into holes 52 in the sleeve 42. A rod 54 is attached to the plug 46 and has a threaded outer end 56 on which is threaded a nut 58. A plate 6% is fastened to the end of shaft 6 and a lock nut 62 is threaded on the nut 58. The plate 60 has a radial flange 64 which cooperates with lock nut 62 and a flange 66 on nut 58 to prevent outward movement of the nut 58. Holes 68 and 70 may be provided in the nuts 58 and 62 to receive spanner wrenches.

The operation of the roll is the same as that of the roll described in my prior patent. However, when it is desired to adjust the amount of deflection the lock nut 62 is loosened and nut 58 is rotated to produce an axial movement of plug 46. When the sleeve 42 is at the right end of its travel there will be -a minimum clearance between sleeve 42 and bushing 40, this clearance becoming greater as sleeve 42 moves to the left, thus permitting greater deflection of the rims for the same amount of tension.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made Without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for positioning a moving object comprising a pair of coaxially opposed rotatable hollow cylinders over which the object passes in a direction transverse to the axes of the cylinders, each of said cylinders having inner and outer ends with the inner ends adjacent each other, a shaft extending through said cylinders coaxial therewith, means supporting the outer end of each of said cylinders on said shaft, a radially extending web for each cylinder having inner and outer ends with the outer end fastened to its associated cylinder at the adjacent inner end of the cylinder and extending inwardly toward said shaft, means fastening the inner ends of said webs together, and a member supported between said shaft and said means and movable axially to vary the amount of deflection of the adjacent ends of said cylinders.

2. Apparatus for positioning a moving object comprising a pair of coaxially opposed rotatable hollow cylinders over which the object passes in a direction transverse to the axes of the cylinders, each of said cylinders having inner and outer ends with the inner ends adjacent each other, a shaft extending through said cylinders coaxial therewith, a radial web at the outer end of each of said cylinders supported on said shaft, a radially extending web for each cylinder having inner and outer ends with the outer end fastened to its associated cylinder at the adjacent inner end of the cylinder and extending inwardly toward said shaft, a hub at the inner ends of said last named webs, means attaching said hub to said last named webs, a member between said hub and said shaft, and cooperating surfaces on said hub and said member, at least one of said surfaces being tapered, said member being movable axially to vary the amount of deflection of the adjacent ends of said cylinders.

3. Apparatus for positioning a moving object comprising a pair of coaxially opposed rotatable hollow cylinders over which the object passes in a direction transverse to the axes of the cylinders, each of said cylinders having inner and outer ends with the inner ends adjacent each other, a hollow shaft extending through said cylinders coaxial therewith, a radial web at the outer end of each of said cylinders supported on said shaft, a radially extending web for each cylinder having inner and outer ends with the outer end fastened to its associated cylinder at the adjacent inner end of the cylinder and extending inwardly toward said shaft, a hub at the inner ends of said last named webs, means attaching said hub to said last named webs, a member between said hub and said shaft, cooperating surfaces on said hub and'said member, at least one of said surfaces being tapered, a plug slidably mounted in said hollow shaft, said shaft having a radial opening therein, and means extending through said radial opening and connecting said plug and member, said plug being movable axially to vary the amount of deflection of the adjacent ends of said cylinders.

4. Apparatus for positioning a moving object comprising a pair of coaxially opposed rotatable hollow cylinders over which the object passes in a direction transverse to the axes of the cylinders, each of said cylinders having inner and outer ends with the inner ends adjacent each other, a hollow shaft extending through said cylinders coaxial therewith, a radial web at the outer end of each of said cylinders supported on said shaft, a radially extending web for each cylinder having inner and outer ends with the outer end fastened to its associated cylinder at the adjacent inner end of the cylinder and extending inwardly toward said shaft, a hub at the inner ends of said last named webs, means attaching said hub to said last named webs, a sleeve between said hub and said shaft, cooperating tapered portions on said sleeve and hub, a plug slidably mounted in said hollow shaft, said shaft having a radial opening therein, means extending through said radial opening and connecting said plug and sleeve, and means for moving said plug axially.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,678,710 Selvig July 31, 1928 2,674,455 Teplitz Apr. 6, 1954 

